Door buffer



- Jan, 0, 1925. 1,523,627

J. T. ATWOOD DOOR BUFFER Filed larch 7, 1924 Arrrs Patented Jan. 2@, 1925..

JAMES '1. ATWOOD, OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS.

noon Bowen.-

Applieation fiIed March 7, 1924. Serial No. 697,469.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES T. A'rwoon, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rockford, in the county of Winnebago and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Door Buffers,

I of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to buffers for doors and other closures and, while of general application, is especially adapted for automobile doors, primarily for cushioning the closing impact and preventing. rattling in the closed position.

Heretofore buffers of this kind have generally included a' resilient buffer block either set directly into a socket in the door jamb and secured therein by fastening means such as a screw, or by the shape of the socket, or by a suitable metal casing. Where appearance is a consideration, efiorts have been directed to secure a neat and workmanlike fit or joint between the buffer block and the door jamb, or between the metal buffer casing and the door j amb which is generally of wood, or between the bufi'er block and the casing if any joints are exposed. In all such cases of exposed joints it is necessary to adhere strictly to dimensional requirements in the making of the several cooperating parts if accuracy in the fitting of such parts is desired. And, inasmuch as these parts are generally made in large quantities and as economically as possible, the degree of tolerance allowed and the'actual dimensions of the manufactured parts sometimes varies considerably, with the result that not only the appearance but the proper fitting and functioning of the parts are impaired.

It is the purpose of the present invention to obviate many of the diiiiculties attendant upon the manufacture and installation of door bufi'ers, by the provision of an improved buifer which conceals exterior joints of the character referred to and is at the same time securely held in position by fastening or holding means likewise concealed. In other words, only the buffer block is exposed to view and it is shaped to cover the means employed in fastening it to the door jamb or other supporting part and, preferably, to also cover all or part of the joints incidental to the mounting and retaining or holding of the buffer in operative positlon. It should be understood, however, that the invention shall not be circumvented by exposing to view some or part of the joints and elements referred to. At the same time I have aimed to fasten the bufi'er in position by such means as will insure durability and practicability of a buffer of this character. Other purposes are to provide a buffer of improved appearance which may be quickly and easily installed, which does not require a fine degree of accuracy in mounting a metal buffer-retaining casing in a door jamb, and which may be economically produced.

Another purpose is to provide an improved bufi'er for automobile body doors the resilient buffer body of which may be quickly and easily removed from its mounting when the automobile bodies are put in a heated compartment or subjected to heat to hasten the drying or to harden the paint or other finish, thus saving the buffer body from the deteriorating effect of the heat.

I have also aimed to provide an improved buffer of the character described which may be attached, with modification if necessary, to a straight edged door instead of a rabbeted door jamb, or to the door itself.

Still other objects and attendant advantages will be appreciated by those skilled in this art as the invention becomes better understood by reference to the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view, somewhat diagrammatical, of a door jamb equipped with a buffer embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a face view of the buffer;

Fig. 3 isan end view of the buffer and its retaining casing;

Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line H of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 55 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the casing;

Fig. is a perspective view of the door j amb with the casing only, fixed in position;

Fig. 8 is a side view of the bufi'er and casing; and

Fig. 9 is a section taken on the line 99 of Fig. 2.

In the application of my invention to automobile doors 1 prefer to mount the buffer in a door jamb, one of which is shown somewhat diagrammatically in Figs. 1 and 7, designated by 11, which is rabbeted at 12, as usual, for the reception of the striking portion of the door. In the face 13 of the door jamb is cut or otherwise formed a socket 14, open also to the rabbetededge 15. This socket, for the reception of and for holding a buffer, is preferably of less depth than length and width, with one narrow side open at the rabbeted face of the door jamb for endwise reception of the buffer. \Vhile, in accordance with my invention, the socket 14 may be formed to hold the buffer in position, I prefer, especially when the door amb is of wood, to employ a sheet metal casing or other fastening means for securing the buffer.

I have therefore, in the vpresent example, shown a casing designated generally by 16, preferably of sheet metal, formed to provide a bottom 17, outturned side walls 18 and an end wall 19 adapted to fit in the socket 14, as shown in Fig. 7. A screw 21 or the equivalent, fixedly secures the casing 16 to the door jamb. The opposed side walls 18 are turned inwardly at their outer ends as at 22, or said sides may be otherwise suitably formed for engaging a buffer block or element and holding it in position in the casing against displacement therefrom. In this instance the casing is channel-shape in cross-section, with the side walls turned inwardly. v

The buffer element is at present in the form of a resilient body or block, designated generally by 23, formed to fit in the casing 16 and to project beyond the faces 13' and 15 of the door jamb, providing end and side door-engaging faces 24 and 25, respectively. In the sides 26 of the buffer body are formed recesses for endwise reception of the casing ends 22 when thebufi'er is inserted into the casing, said recesses being of such size as to insure tight frictional contact with the casing sides. The side walls of the casing are, therefore, formed to positively retain the buffer against displacement through the open side of the socket transverse to the plane in which it is inserted into the casing and to frictionally hold the buffer from endwise displacement through the narrow open side of the socket. The bufler when inserted rests at its base on the bottom of the casing and bears at one end against the end wall 19 thereof. The under side of the bufier body is grooved as at 28 -to provide clearance for the round-head screw 21. The casing is stron r and held more firmly and with less liabillty of being displaced than if countersunk for the usual wood screw.

The buffer body or block is further formed to provide marginal portions 29 overreaching the face 13 contiguous to theexterior edges 31 of the socket 14, and marginal portions 32 overreaching the face 15 contiguous to the exterior edges 33 at the narrow ends of said socket. These marginal portions cover and conceal said exterior edges of the socket in the door jamb, the joints between the metal buffermounting and securing the buffer in position, and only' the buffer proper is exposed to view. The bottom 16 of the casing which is practically concealed by reason of its location, is howeverfactually covered by a projecting portion 34 of the buffer. The mar-' ginal portions 29- are undercut or formed as at 35 so that the innermost ends of said faces fit against the face 13 thus putting the outer ends of the portions 29 under slight tension causing them to press or clamp said face 131 and maintain tight contact there-.

with. The sides 18 ofthe casing terminate short of the faces 35, so as not to weaken. the

buffer body at the juncture of the marginal portions 29 therewith. It is preferred that the buffer block be of rubber or some suitable resilient material cast to shape.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the door-engaging faces of the buffer have a larger surface measured by length and width than the corresponding dimensions of the buffer proper retained in the socket, thus giving large door-contacting surface; that the buffer proper may be easily mounted and removed and is adjustable to take up wear and play by inserting asmall shim or the equivalent between the end 19 of the casing and the adjacent end of the buffer, which shim would be concealed by the overhanging marginalportion 29; that the buffer body and its retaining means, in

this instance the casing 16, are so shaped sition; that the buffer body is shaped marginally so as to cover all exposed or exterior joints in connection with the 'parts which serve to attach it to the door j amb; that only the buffer proper is exposed to view, thus making possible an attractive and workmanlike appearing construction; that a buffer embodying'the principles of construction disclosed herein is capable of withstanding the strains and stresses to which bufi'ers of this kind are subjected under the most severe conditions of use; and that the bufler may be produced at a comparatively low cost.

It is believed that the foregoing conveys a clear understanding of the objects prefaced above, and while I have illustrated but a single working embodiment, it should be understood that in putting my invention into practice it is not essential to employ a casing element 16 as this or'the equivalent might be integral with the door jamb, and that various changes might be made in the construction and arrangement without dei parting from the spirit and scope of the invenlion as expressed in the appended claims, in which- Claims:

1. In combination, a door jamb having a socket channel-shape in cross-section for endwise reception of a buffer block, a resilieiit buffer block adapted to be inserted endwise into said socket and over-reaching the face of the door jamb contiguous to the socket so as to cover the exterior edges thereof and expose only the bufier proper to view.

2. In combination, a-door Jamb having a socket open on two sides for the reception of a border block and formed for holding said block against displacement, and a resilient bulfer block shaped for endwise insertion into said socket and having marginal portions covering from view the exterior edges of said socket.

3. In combination, a door jamb having a socket open on two sides for the reception of a buffer block and formed for holding said block against displacement, and a resilient buiier block shaped for endwise insertion into said socket and having end and side door-engaging portions extending beyond the socket each having marginal portions covering from view the exterior edges of said socket.

4. In combination, a rabbeted door jamb having a socket open at the face of the door jamb and at the rabbeted face thereof, and a buffer block held in said socket and having buffer portions projecting from the socket and overreaching said faces so as to cover the exterior edges of the socket and leave only the louder block exposed to view.

5. In combination, a door jamb having a socket open on two adjoining sides, a buffer block, a butter-holding casing, means for securing the casing/in the socket, the casing being shaped to receive the bufi er endwise and having opposed sides for holding the buffer against displacement outwardly transverse to the plane in which it is inserted, the buffer being formed to project beyond the socket and having marginal portions covering from view the casing.

6. In combination, a rabbeted door jamb having a socket in its face and rabbeted edge, a buffer, a casing in said sockethaving a buffer-holding socket into which the buifer is adapted to be inserted endwise through the rabbeted edge, the bufi'er projecting. outwardly from said casing beyond the face and said rabbeted edge of the door jamb and having marginal portions covering from view the casing and exterior edges of the socket.

7. In combination, a door jamb having a socket open on two adjacent sides, a buffer, opposed walls of said socket being shaped to hold the bufler against outward displacement through one of its open sides and to permit withdrawal of the buffer through the other open side, the buffer having marginal portions ovcrreaching both 8. In. combination, a resilient bufi'er body I having a base, parallel sides, a door-engagmg face opposlte the base and a door-engaging face at one end of said parallel side, and a louder-holding casing channel- I shape in cross-section to receive the bufi'er endwise in the plane of its parallel sides, the sides of the casing engaging the said sides of the bufier and being shaped to retain it from displacement transverse to the plane in which it is inserted, the bufi'er having marginal portions overreaching said sides of the casing.

9. In combination, a resilient bufier block, and a buffer-holding casing channel-shape in cross-section :for endwise reception of the butter block, the opposed sides of the casing being turned inwardly, the sides of the bufier block being shaped to receive said inwardly turned sides of the casing so as to be held thereby against displacement transverse to the plane of the bufier-inserting movement, said sides of the casing terminating intermediate the base of themeing and the opposite face of the louder, and the buffer being formed intermediate said face and ends of the casing to overreach the said casing sides.

10. A door bufl'er comprising, a casing having opposed inwardly turned sides and an end wall, and a resilient buffer block having a body portion insertible endwise between said sides and adapted to be retained against outward displacement therefrom transverse to the plane of the inserting movement, the butter having a door-engaging portion projecting beyond the casing at the end thereof remote from said end wall and another door-engaging portion projecting beyond said side walls of the casing, the latter door-engaging portion having marginal portions overhanging the side and end walls of the casing.

11. In combination, a supporting member, a resilient bufier block, a casing for holding the block in position on the support and into which the bufier is adapted to be inserted endwise, the casing having a screw opening, and a screw through said opening fastening the casing to the support and having a head bearing against the inner side of the casing, the buffer block being grooved on its under-side for clearance of the screw head.

12. A door bufier comprising, in combination, a buffer body of-resilient material, and a butter-holding casing having a bottom, an end wall and side walls providing a socket f r nd i e reception of the bufier body &

through the open end opposite irom the end wall, the side walls being-shaped to retain the buffer body from displacement transverse to the plane in which it is inserted and for contact with said buffer body sufficient to retain it from displacement through said open end except by pressure for the purpose of removing it, the bufier body having marginal portions overreaching and concealing said side walls of the casing.

13. A door bufier comprising, in combination, a buffer body of resilient material, and a retainer shaped to receive an interior portion of the bufier body and hold the latter from displacement except by pressure for the purpose of removing it, the bufier bod having marginal portions which overreac and conceal contiguousedges of the retainer.

JAMES 'r. ATWOOD'Q 

